Maekjeok () is a meat dish from Goguryeo. It is made by skewering seasoned pork and grilling it over a fire. Maekjeok is considered one of the precursors to bulgogi, a modern Korean meat dish.
Name Maekjeok is a compound word formed by combining the Hanja characters maek () and jeok (). Maek refers to the Maek tribe, that is, Goguryeo, while jeok refers to food made by seasoning meat and grilling it on a skewer.
History Maekjeok is discussed in the 4th-century Chinese book In Search of the Supernatural. In a letter, maek () refers to the Yemaek people, the tribe believed to be the ancestors of modern Koreans. The book says "Qiang simmered dish and Yemaek roast are barbarian's foods. Since the beginning of China, they are prized by nobles and rich people" where Yemaek roast is maekjeok. According to another record Shiming, "Maekjeok is a whole pig that is barbecued, from which pieces of meat are sliced off by each individual participating in the meal. It derives from Yemaek."
After the fall of Goguryeo, the culture of meat-eating declined under the influence of Buddhism, and the dish was forgotten. However, it is believed to have been revived as seolyamyeok () toward the end of the Goryeo dynasty, when meat consumption resumed due to the influence of the Mongol Empire, and that it evolved into neobiani during the Joseon dynasty and eventually into modern-day bulgogi.
See also Bulgogi Jeok
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